Automatic type form cabinet



March 5, 1946. A RA 2,395,961

- AUTOMATIC TYPE FORM CABINET iledNov. 10, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

w. COCHRAN. Paul A.T1lbzfl'.

ATTORNEY.

' ALBERT.

March 5, 1946. A. 'w. COCHRAN 2,395,961

AUTOMATIC TYPE FORM CABINET I Filed Nov.v 10, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum. fi m y mw I v m Q F m 6 4 6 w 1u hh IlWJ, (HUMMHHU fl nlfl md E 2 l .n siw/imflfzmrd I m PcuUATalMF.

'ZI 2t ALBERT w. COCHRAN.

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March 5, 1946. w coc v I 2,395,961

AUTOMATIC TYPE FORM CABINET Filed Nov. 10, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet s M H65 Ml /L 1: J vw I 11/1111 IIIlllIIl/IIII IIIIIIIIIII. 'IIIIIIIIII/III/l I INVENTOR.

, AIESIKBERT w. COCHRAN. Paul ATM ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 5, 1946 AUTOMATICTYPE FORM CABINET Albert W. Cochran, New-York, N. Y. Application November 10, 1942., Serial No. 465,156

' Claims. (Cl. 452) My invention relates to a cabinet for filing and. storing type forms and similar articles and particularly to the orderly filing and automatic delivery of such articles. Among the purposes and objects are to provide; I

A file cabinet which stores and elevates to the delivery position, any particular selected oneof a plurality of heavy articles stored in the cabinet.

A means of storing aplurality of heavy ob: jects, any one of which is moved to thedelivery position, or its predetermined receiver may be moved to the position for receiving the object by a selector. V r

A type form storage and delivery cabinet having a selecting means to bring any form or its receiver to'the position for receiving or delivering, as predetermined by the operator.

. A file cabinet fortype forms which eliminates the necessity of storing the forms on the trucks, A space saving storage device for type forms.

'A storage device for type forms which delivers any selected one of a plurality offorms to a posi tionwhere'itmay be altered or worked on.

.A repository and vending device for heavy objects, V 7 7 j A storage cabinet for a plurality of type-forms which maintains all forms level while handling" and in storage.

A'convenient device for storing type form s. V I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein described and setforth and as shownlin the accompanying drawings -forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the ap-v plication of my device.

I Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with parts of the housing broken away.

"Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of one ofthe elevators,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan and section at 5-5,Fig.6., V M, Fig. 6 .is a fragmentary elevation and section at 6-6, Fig. 5...

. Fig. 7 is aside elevation in which't-he housing is broken away in places to show the interior..

, Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the draw-.

are difiicult to store, and a common method is to store the forms on trucks, which are heavy tables having a top slightly larger in length and breadth than the form which reposes on the top of the truck.

Thetruck' is made mobile by casters on its four legs, and after the various operations, such as stereotyping, is stored and kept for a period or additions in the form. Y

It is not my purpose to elaborate herein on point out some of the advantages made possible by the use of my cabinet.

I am aware that the underlying principles of my invention, of which this disclosure isanembodiment, may be used for other purposes than the handling and storage of type forms.

, The purpose of this disclosure is not to limit the scope of my invention or this my letters patent, as, after a study of the detailed constriiction' herein set forth by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, modifications'may be suggested to suit my device to the many uses for which it may be adapted.

, This disclosure is to illustrate in .detail a preferred form so that the underlying principles I of my invention may be more readily understood, rather than to limit the invention to the details of the construction as set forth in thespecifi'cacabinetfor the. same number of forms, requires thirteen square feet of floor space. The trucks areavailable for active use, or less trucks may be provided.

By the use of my cabinet, any form is immediately available and'not inaccessible as inthe old system where some-forms are, of necessity, at

thirty-two forms all may appear at a singleposithe center of a group. This feature of permanent availability is accomplished by setting an indicator and pressing a button, whereupon the particular form desired appears at the delivery position where it may be worked on orfplaced on a truck as desired. a A convenient, light is provided to make-the change of the form easier. Thus, one light may replace many lights as tionrather than atthirty-two positions.

a The forms are covered from dust and the selec of time for other editions or to'facilitate changes 2 of the cabinet and at and above the level of the truck 3, I have provided the opening 4,. which is provided with the light which illuminates the form 6, which may be disposed at the receiving and delivery position and, because the cabinet recedes at the opening 4, work on the form maybe performed without its removal from the cabinet as may be seen by referring particularly to Fig. 7 of the drawings or to Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, the truck may be removed from the front of the cabinet where it is shown in position to receive or deliver a form to the cabinet.

Within the cabinet, I have provided the trays T on which the forms are placed and stored. The number and size of the trays may vary for the particular job for which my cabinet is designed, however, it is not necessary that the number and size of the forms must conforinto the capacity of u,

the trays and the capacity of the cabinet. The cabinet may be provided with sufficient trays to hold the" total forms used for a publication, or

several cabinets may be provided for a very large publication requiring more than the thirty-two trays usually used. I

The trays are supported and carried by the arms 8 which are swingingly secured at one end near the front 3 on one side, and the arms III which are swingingly secured at one end to the trays near the rear I l on the opposite side. Thus, each tray is supported by a pair of arms, the swinging connections of which are disposed diagonally and in genera1 the tray is approximately balanced between these two diagonal supports. This diagonal supporting means prevents the tray from teetering and also holds thetray'in a level position at all times.

The stiffness of each arm, together'with the length of bearing l2 in the brackets [3 which are secured to the tray, combine to prevent rocking or teetering, as well as to support each tray in its level position even though the Weight of the form placed on it may not be in perfect balance between the two diagonally disposed supports. All of the arms, brackets, and the pins l4 which are secured in the ends I5 of each arm and which are j ournalled in the bearings l2 are duplicates. The arms, however, are assembled right and left in relation to the trays which they support.

The arms 8 and ID are secured at and replace a part of the links of the chains IBand lTat the ends ll. Both chains are preferably of the roller type and the arms replace the links near es't the trays I. I

The chain [6 engages the teeth of the top sprocket [8 which is disposed at the top of the roller guide IS. The idler sprocket is disposed at the bottom end of the guide I9. The chain l! is similarly guided by the guide 2| at the top of which is disposed the sprocket 22 and at the bottom, the sprocket 23. Both chains [6 and H, together with their respective arms which support the trays, are driven through their top sprockets l8 and 22 which are rotatably connected on the shafts 24 and.25 to the drive sprockets 26 and 21 which receive the drive chains 28 and 29, which in turn engage the sprockets 30 and 3|, both of which are secured to and revolved by the reduction drive shaft 32 which is revolved by the motor 33 through the reduction gear 34.

The guides l9 and 2| are so disposed that the sprockets 26 and 27 revolve in the spaces 26' between the backs l9 of the guides and the inner face I" of the cabinet. The bolts 2|" preferably pass through the guides; cabinet housing and the reinforcing bars 2'! and the distance sleeves 2|". One end of each of the shafts 24 and 25 is supported in the bearing 24' held in the bars 21, and the opposite end is supported by the bearing 24" held in the brackets l8 which are secured to the guides 19 and 2| by the screws l8".

The cantilever stresses, due to the length of the arms 8 and I0, when not traveling over the sprockets, are prevented from kinking the links out of line by'the roller guides I9 and 21, the slots 35 of which receive and engage the rollers 36 of the chains which travel up the slots toward the front side of the cabinet and down the slots which are disposed toward the back side of the cabinet.

The trays carried by the arms thustravel upwardly near the front side of the cabinet and downwardly near the back side of the cabinet nearer the rear of the cabinet.

The travel of the trays and the parts which move and carry the trays, is controlled by the electric circuits and the disposition of the stop lugs 31 which are positioned at progressively spaced intervals laterally on the back top edge 38 of each tray so that each tray is capable of stopping the travel of the trays at a different time and thus the electric circuit is selectively broken by the stop switch 39 which is secured to and carried by the selector lever which is swingingly and slidably mounted on the selector shaft 4'1. Since the selection lever 40' may slide on the shaft 4| as well as swing on the selector shaft 4|, the selection of the particular tray to be stopped at the position D'at which position the form, or other load, maybe removed, inspected or placed on the tray for storage, the parts which cooperate with said lever in this selection may be better understood and are as follows:

The selector lever is preferably 50" formed as to extend upwardly, then forwardly over the mo tor 33 and through the slot 42 which is provided in the upper front part of the housing I The lower edge 43 of the slot "is provided With the notches 44 disposed to correspond with and in register with the disposition of the various stop lugs 31, whereby the numbers-45 progressively disposed at each notch, designate thetray to be selected and stopped automatically at the position conforming with the height of the top of the truck so that the particular form may be deslid from the truck onto the. particular tray which may represent the page to be printed from the Iorm.f For example,:theselection ofJ'a'par-Y 32' which meshes with'the worm'and. which'is ti'cular page, the type form of which may be stored in my cabinet, is accomplished as'follows: 1 The selector lever is placed at notch twentyfive as indicated by the indicator number twenty-V five, which corresponds to page twenty-five, and

the type form for page twenty-five on the tray twenty-five will be moved to the discharge position. D upon starting the motor 33 which is ac-' complished by pressing the-starting button 45 positioned in the endof the handle of the se- 1ectorlever40and upon contact-of an element of stop switch 39 with the stop lug ion the preceding tray as it passes the stop switch 39, the tray and form twenty-five will be stopped at the delivery position. D.

-:Each tray preceding the tray containing the form for type page to be delivered is thus stopped by the lug attached thereto when the selector lever is positioned to place the stop switch in the path of travel of that particular lug, the path of travel being shown in broken lines S in Fig. 7 of the drawings. 7 The electric circuits and switches may be better understood by referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings which illustrates a preferred wiring diagram. The particular type of switches and circuits may be of any well known construction commonly used for a similar purpose. V

The stop switch 39 may have a solenoid 48, the,

plunger 49 of which maybe provided with a con- III : the height of the working space.

tact bar 50 which completes the circuit to start the motor 33when in the reset position shown. The plunger 49 is provided with a downwardly projecting finger 5| which is positioned in the path of travel of the stop lug shown in broken lines. The stop lug carries the finger and plunger I to the position indicated in brokenlines, whereupon the contact bar breaks the circuit, stopping the motor and the motion of the trays.

By pressing the starting button 46, the switch 52 completes the circuitto the coil 53 of the solenoid, moving the plunger to the reset position,

thereby starting the motor 33 and likewise thev movement of the trays until again stopped'by the stop lug selected; there being as many stop lugs as there are trays.

A battery 54 or other source of electric current may be-p'rovided to operate the solenoid coil 53 and a'generator 55 or other source of electric power may supply the motor 33.

It is to be noted thatas each tray passes upwardly from the front and over to the back, the stop lug at the back of the tray travels on a circular arc and upon contacting therewith the secured to the shaft 32 and thus any movement of the shaftl56 moves the shaft 32, chains and the shafts or. studs 24 and 25, as well as the trays, as hereinbefore described. By'inodifications in respect to some of the details, the'direction of movement of the trays may be reversed and the stopping means may be modi-r fied to.deliver the desired trayat the delivery position.. s .1

'Itis notedthat the trays while traveling vertically upward at the front of the cabinet and also while traveling vertically downwardly at the rear of the cabinet, are spacedclosely together and that the tray at the top of the verticalup- Ward travel at the front, the delivery position D, is spaced closedv to the tray below while the tray above is a much greater distance above at A, as well as'to the rear, thus being out of the way over-the tray at the delivery positionVD. This desirable characteristic, permits Work to be done on the form at the delivery position, as well as provides the handling and inspection space above the tray. g

The length and disposition of the arms governs The pitch of the'arms onthe chains governs the space between the trays while in storage and throughout their vertical travel, permitting the maximum number to be stored in the minimum space.

- The' cantilever stresses caused by the length'of the arms and the weight of the trays and articles on the trays which are supported at the free ends of the arms, isrelatively great when the arms are extended in substantially a horizontal position; which occurs while the trays are traveling vertically. The chains and the rollers are guided in vertical alignment bythe guides which re-' ceive the rollers in their vertical. travel. At the end of the: vertical travel, the sprocket teeth serve to overcome the cantilever stresses while the finger of the plunger of the solenoid when at the ly at one side and downwardly at the opposite side of said cabinet, whereby any oneof saidtrays maybe stopped at a predetermined position for the placing or removalof articles on said tray, said conveying means holding said trays level throughout their travel, said conveying means comprising arms in pairs and means thereon swingingly mounting'and supporting said trays,

is so arranged as to bring the next following tray to'the position D where the form may be removed or'placed on the tray. The tray may iberaised .or lowered slightly if desired, by hand, and I have one of said-supporting means supporting said tray on onesideforward of the center of gravity and the other of said supporting'means supporting said tray vonthe opposite side back of the center .ly at one side and downwardly at the opposite side ofsaid cabinet, whereby any one of said trays may be stopped at a predetermined position for the placing or removal of. articles on.

said tray; and electric driving means for said conveying means, and selection electric stop means; for: said trays for stopping any one of said pluralityof trays at said predetermined position, and hand means independent of'said electric driving means for moving said trays in either direction, said hand means being positioned. on the front of said cabinet adjacent said tray stopped at said predetermined positiona 3. In a file cabinet having therein a plurality of'movable trays, and a delivery opening for said trays, each tray having a stop lug disposed at a difierentposition in relationv to the lug on each of the other trays, said cabinet having electric motor operated conveying meansfor carrying said trays downwardly at one side of the cabinet and upwardly at the opposite side, whereby any one of said traysmay be brought toa loading position at said delivery opening, a slidable selector meanshaving means for engaging any of said stop lugs and a switch for said motor carried by said selector means, said switch being operated by said engaging means when engaged by a stop lug, whereby any one of said trays may be selected and stopped at said loading position. 1

4. In a file cabinet having therein a plurality of movable trays, and an opening for delivering said trays, each tray having a stop lug disposed at a different position in relation tothe lug on each of the other trays, said cabinet having electric motor operated conveying means for carrying said trays downwardly at one side of the cabinet and upwardly at the opposite side, whereby any one of said trays may be brought to a loading position at said delivery opening, a slidable selector means having means for engaging any of said stop lugs and a switch for said motor carried by said selector means, said switch being operated by said engaging means when engaged by a stop lug, whereby any one of said trays may be selected and stopped at said loading position, and start-- ing means on said selector means to start said conveying means.

5. In a file cabinet. having therein'a plurality of movable trays and a delivery openingfor said trays, each tray having a stop lu disposed at a diiferent position in relation to the lug on each of the other trays, said cabinet having electric motor operated conveying means for carrying said trays downwardly at one side of the cabinet and upwardly at the opposite side, whereby any one of said trays may be brought to a predetermined loading position at said delivery opening, a slidable selector means having means for engaging any of said stop lugs and a switch for said motor carried by said selector means, said switch being operated by said engaging means when engaged by a stop lug, whereby any one of said trays may be selected and stopped at said loading position, said engaging means comprising a finger slidable in said selector means for operating said switch 6. In a file cabinet having therein a plurality of movable trays and supporting and conveying means therefor, each tray having a stop lug disposed at a different relative position thereon, and

means for cooperating with the stoplug of anyselected tray to stop said tray at a loading or unloading position, selector means slidable in said cabinet and carrying said cooperating means, said cooperating means comprising a switch carried by and slidable with said selector'means.

7. In a storage and automaticv delivery cabinet-i havin a delivery opening, a motor driven pair of chains and sprockets mounted in said cabinet for said chains, and a plurality ofpairs of sup porting arms, one of'each of said pairs of arms being secured to oneof said chains and the other of each of said pairs of arms being secured to the otherof said chains, a plurality of trays each supported by onev of said pairs of arms and carried upwardly, over and down within said cabinet by said pair of chains, the supporting connection of'each arm at one side of each of said trays and the. chain. carrying said arm being disposed toward the. front and the other supporting connection and arm at the other side of each tray and the chain carrying said arm being disposed toward the back to carry the trays in a horizontal position throughout their travel up, over and down within the cabinet.

8. In a storage and automatic delivery cabinet, having a delivery opening, a motor driven pairof chains and a plurality of pairs of supporting arms, one of each of said pairs of arms beingsecured: to one of said chains and the other of each of said pairs of supporting arms being secured to the otherof said chains, a plurality of traysv each supported by one of said pairs of arms and carried upwardly, over and down within said cabinetby said pair of chains, the supporting connection of each arm at one side of each of said trays and the chain carrying said arm being disposed toward the front and the other supporting connection and arm at the other side of each tray and the chain carrying said arm being disposed toward the back to carry the trays in a horizontal position throughout their travel up, over and down within the cabinet, said supporting connection for said arms having pivot pins disposed diagonally on each of the trays to swingingly engage said arms, said chains being mounted to travel over sprockets and said sprockets being disposed apart in relation to the front and back substantially one-half the distancetravel'ed byany one of said pins from front to back.

9. In a cabinet having therein movable trays, and a delivery opening for said trays, conveying and driving means for said trays, said conveying and driving means having diagonal connections with said trays whereby said trays are held substantially level during their vertical travel up and down and during their travel from up to down and from down to up in said cabinet, said conveying means, being so disposed and propor tio-ned' that the front of the trays traveling down pass close to the back of thetrays traveling up, said conveying means comprising a pair of continuous chains and wheels over which said chains travel, one of said chains of said pair of chains being disposed relatively nearer the front of said cabinet than the other of said chains.

10, In a storage cabinet having a delivery opening at the discharge position, a plurality of trays on which articles maybe conveyed'and stored, a pair ofchains having driving and supporting means and means for supporting said trays, said trays being carried by said chains to, travel within said cabinet to a discharge position and stopping means for stopping; any of said trays at. the discharge position, said stopping'means comprising a stop switch to halt said driving means, a selector and switch operator secured to said switch and means slidably mounting said selector and, switch to slide transversely in said cabinet and a stop disposed on each of said trays at a different position and in the, path of travel of said switch operator to engage said operator and stop any one of said trays at said'discharge position,

ALBERT W. COCHRAN. 

